Drop It Like It’s Hot, or Not: PART 2 of a 3 part Series about RULE 20-2C: DROPPING AND RE-DROPPING

PART 2 of a 3 part Series about RULE 20-2C: DROPPING AND RE-DROPPING

The Questions:
Once a ball has been dropped in the correct location and has not struck anyone or the equipment of any player it is now governed by Rule 20-2c (When to Re-Drop). This Rule requires the player to lift the dropped ball and re-drop it if the dropped ball comes to rest in certain locations. It is important to note that when proceeding under this Rule the player must proceed under the original selected Rules option. Sometimes called the “drop, drop, place” Rule, it is a large source of confusion on the course. Often, a player will re-drop the ball when it has been properly put into play and has not come to rest in a location requiring a re-drop. The opposite also occurs as players will make a stroke at a dropped ball that must be re-dropped. In both cases, the player has played from a wrong place and incurs the general penalty for doing so. In July we will focus on the placement of the ball after a re-dropped ball comes to rest in a location covered by Rule 20-2c. However, this month we focus on the re-drop of “drop, drop, place.”

In each of the following situations, determine if the ball must be re-dropped under Rule 20-2c.

Re-drop or Play it as it lies?
1. An embedded ball is lifted and dropped as near as possible to its original location but not nearer the hole. It rolls and comes to rest in the original pitch-mark.
2. A player’s ball is in bounds but rest against an out of bounds stake. He declares the ball unplayable and drops within two club-lengths. The dropped ball rolls and comes to rest out of bounds.
3. In taking relief from a water hazard, a player selects the option of keeping the spot where the ball last crossed the margin directly between the hole and where she drops. She backs up 20 yards behind the hazard and drops a ball. The ball rolls directly at the hole and comes to rest one and a half club-lengths from where it struck the course on the drop.
4. A player declares his ball unplayable in the rough and drops a ball within two club-lengths but not closer to the hole. The ball rolls and comes to rest in its original unplayable lie.
5. After determining the nearest point of relief from a sprinkler head, the player properly drops within one club-length and the ball comes to rest nearer the hole than the nearest point of relief but not nearer the hole than its original position.
6. In taking relief from a lateral water hazard the dropped ball rolls and comes to rest nearer the hole than where it last crossed the margin of the hazard.
7. After determining the nearest point of relief from a gopher hole the player drops within one club-length of this point and the ball rolls outside the one club-length area but not more than two club-lengths from where it struck the course on the drop.
8. When taking relief from a water hazard the player drops and the ball comes to rest in a location not requiring a redrop. As he retrieves a club for his next stroke the ball begins to roll and comes to rest back in the water hazard.
9. A player drops a ball just within the two club-length regulation of Rule 28c for her ball she has declared unplayable. The ball rolls and comes to rest just short of two club-lengths from where it struck the course on the drop. The ball is now almost four club-lengths from where she declared it unplayable.
10. A player takes relief for his ball which lies on a cart path. He determines the nearest point of relief and drops within one club-length. The ball rolls and comes to rest in a location where he now has to stand on the path to make his next stroke.

The Answers:
1. Re-drop. Rule 20-2c(v) requires the ball to be lifted and re-dropped. It is important to note that repairing the pitch-mark before the drop breaches Rule 13-2 as the player has improved the area of his intended drop.
2. Re-drop. When a dropped ball comes to rest after crossing the out of bounds or a hazard margin, it must be re-dropped. See Rules 20-2c(i)(ii)(iv)
3. Play it as it lies. A dropped ball may roll towards the hole provided it comes to rest in a location not requiring a re-drop under Rule 20-2c. In this case the ball did not roll more than two club-lengths and did not come to rest nearer the hole than where it last crossed the margin of the hazard.
4. Play it as it lies. Unfortunately, Rule 20-2c does not apply to such a situation and this player’s options are to play it as it lies or once again declare it unplayable incurring an additional one stroke penalty for a total of two. See Decision 28/3.
5. Re-drop. Under Rule 20-2c(vii)(a) and (b) anytime a dropped ball comes to rest nearer the hole than its nearest point of relief or its original location it must be redropped. As the ball in this situation has come to rest in a location covered by a provision in this Rule, it must be re-dropped.
6. Re-drop. This situation is very common on the course as the drop area can sometimes be very small. Under Rule 20-2c(vii)(c), a dropped ball that comes to rest nearer the hole than where it last crossed the margin of a water hazard or lateral water hazard must be re-dropped.
7. Play it as it lies. A ball dropped under a Rule may come to rest an appreciable distance from its original location. As in this case, the ball was properly dropped within one club-length of the nearest point of relief and may roll up to two club-lengths from where it struck the course without requiring a re-drop. Additionally, a dropped ball may always come to rest outside the prescribed drop area provided no provision in Rule 20-2c would require the player to re-drop.
8. Play it as it lies. Rule 20-2c Note 1 states that if a dropped ball comes to rest and subsequently moves, the ball must be played as it lies. In this unfortunate situation, the player must play it as it lies or again proceed under Rule 26 for relief from the water hazard incurring an additional penalty stroke for the relief.
9. Play it as it lies. This situation is very similar to Answer #7. The player proceeded correctly by dropping within two club-lengths, no closer to the hole, and the ball may roll up to two club-lengths after striking the course on the drop without requiring a re-drop. This ball must be played as it lies unless another provision in Rule 20-2c would require a re-drop.
10. Re-drop. As this player still has interference from the cart path he must not play the ball as it lies. When taking free relief, from either an obstruction or abnormal ground condition, complete relief is required and if the dropped ball comes to rest in a location where the player still has interference to his lie, stance or swing by the condition he must re-drop. See Rule 20-2c(v).